The Cookies Are All Right

Happy Saturday! Today, for me, Saturday = cleaning the house and munching on these cookies I made last night and publicly shamed (sorry, cookies!). I take it all back — they are really yummy. And chewy. If you like chewy cookies, then you’ll probably like these. They are “healthy” — brown rice syrup replaces the refined sugar and there’s only 1 1/2 tbsp. of oil (there is a whole cup of nuts — but nuts are healthy and less processed than oil). They are also wheat- and gluten-free (I used gluten-free oat flour). Here’s the recipe I used last night:

Chewy Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

These can also be called “hide the nuts” cookies, because there’s a whole cup of nuts in there but you’d never guess it (unless you can detect the flavor, but, as a recovering nut-phobist, it was more the texture than the flavor I disliked). Hmph. Well, if you want to sneak nuts into a cookie, for whatever reason (not to poison someone!), you can try this recipe. Like, if you want to add some protein-y goodness to your kid’s snack. I dunno!

Blend almonds and cashews in a food processor for 30 seconds. Add oil and blend for 2-3 minutes, until the mixture resembles nut butter. Transfer mixture to a large bowl.

Add liquid sweetener(s) and vanilla extract to walnut mixture.

Combine oat flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Add to wet ingredients and incorporate. Fold in oats, if using, and chocolate chips. (The dough will be pretty sticky, so you might need to use your hands in place of a spoon).

Place cookie dough in 2-inch balls onto cookie sheets 2 inches apart (I lightly oil my hands first so the dough doesn’t stick). Bake each cookie sheet for 8 minutes. Let cool for five minutes and then transfer to wire rack. Store in an airtight container (in the freezer, for maximum freshness).

Yield: 1 dozen cookies

These aren’t like blow-your-mind cookies, but they are tasty, healthier than the usual cookie, and pretty darn easy to make!